#depressed Merlin

[themaidenofwords]

This has happened before

It will happen again

And again

And again.

Until something else breaks.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/57447637/chapters/146152615

[seldomscilence16]

Whumptober Day 20:

"People don't change people, time does."

Blanket | found family | "you will regret touching them."

Fandom: Merlin

Prompts used: allish

This one's all over the place, it took me two days and went away from what I wanted, making the next day shorter lol. But it's here.

….

Merlin- if anyone deigned to ask- would say coffee shops were one of his favorite things about the future. Sure there were quite a lot of things he enjoyed about the ever changing world- plumbing, running water, unions, etc- but Coffee and coffee shops were up near the top. Sure he sometimes- all the time- missed Gaius and his concoctions, and… well everything except the constant threat of death.

If you were gonna live an endless life, you needed caffeine in Merlins humble opinion, and since he was the only one he knew of, his opinion mattered most. He wondered how long he could live off of caffeine and spite….

"Mr. Emrys!" The voice pulls him from his thoughts, a young teen running up to him.

"What are you doing out this early, Kim?" He greets her with a smile, taking a sip of his newly acquired energy source.

"I was hoping to find you at the library, but saw you before I got there! I need your help!"

His smile falls at her slightly panicked tone,

"What's wrong?"

"My parents don't believe me, and if they don't believe me then the cops won't! I dont know who else to go to-"

"Come sit down, take a breath. What happened?"

The outdoor seating area is deserted this early, and Merlin is glad for the privacy, as the two sit across from each other.

"I… I saw something weird yesterday afternoon." She starts, biting at her lip nervously, Merlin nods in encouragement, "I was at the library, studying, when I heard a weird noise. I was worried someone was hurt, so I went to check and…" she looks around, lowers her voice, and they both lean in, "He came out of the book. Climbed out of it like a clown out of a car."

He blinks, taking this in, and looks at Kim seriously,

"Kim, I need to know what book, and what he looked like, can you do that for me?" He keeps his voice calm, steady, trying not to scare her, she looks caught off guard but quickly nods.

"It was one of the Arthurian Legends books, I… there was nothing too special about him except his clothes, like he was straight out of Arthurian times. He muttered something about the nights? And left in a hurry…"

The nights… or the Knights… this could be very bad.

"Thank you Kim. I'll take care of this, don't worry." They hold eye contact for a moment before she nods and stands.

"Thank you Mr. Emrys. Be safe." She hesitates for only a moment before hurrying down the street.

Merlin releases a troubled sigh, he doesn't quite understand it, the books were practically fiction at this point- no matter how much Merlin tried to fix it- for a 'character' to emerge… well it didn't seem likely. Traveling by book? Immersing one's physical self in a book? It was puzzling, and did not make a lot of sense, but if someone had come back, and they were looking for 'the knights', then trouble was brewing.

It seems he had some research to do once more.

The thing with reincarnation, was that you never know how soon one will re enter life, or what they'll look like. So the universe decided to curse Merlin multiple times over, for every incarnation he'd found of his past were identical to the faces he'd find now. It was painful, to see familiar faces, and have no recollection pass on them when they see you. To be cursed to walk the world until Albions greatest hour of need comes about, when you know no such place truly exists any longer, and that knights will not be what is needed in this changed world…

But even if his knights were strangers right now, he would save them, he'd always save them.

Leon, Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival, and Elyon. They've had many names since, and some lifetimes they are all there, others only some, and some none at all. Merlin has had all the variations of it, the pain never stops, a link to the past suspended out of his reach by no one but the universe itself. Sometimes he thinks he sees others too, a glimpse of Gwen, a look not unlike Gaius', Morgana through the crowd, a child like Mordred, a million other faces too, but never for more than a second, only left with the lost feeling of panic and sorrow.

This time round it's not hard to find them. Names practically the same, clustered not far from here, it's almost too easy to find them and he wonders why they haven't crossed paths yet in this life. He shakes the thought, he's been keeping busy this time round, a distraction sure, but what else could he do? He takes a breath, staring in the mirror as his form shifts. His aged appearance gains youth, his red scarf really makes the bags beneath his eyes pop, he can almost fool himself… that it's all been a dream…

He hurries out before he can reminisce anymore than that. He had people to save.

"Yo, dude, if this is some weird LARP thing, can you leave me out of it? I got work to do!" Eli strains against his bindings, yelling at the door before him.

The men on either side of him are doing much the same, looking just as peeved as he is.

"Yeah mate! Whatever game you're playing, I don't want any part of it!" The guy with dark shoulder length hair to match the scruff on his face, goes for an easy going tone, but he can hear the barely restrained anger in it.

"This is ridiculous. How did one man manage to capture six fully grown men by himself, let alone keep us contained? Does anyone feel drugged?" The longer haired blond seems to be taking the methodical route of getting his own bindings undone, but to no avail.

"I'm too coherent, so, gonna say no."

"Surely if we work together one of us can get free, there's no way rope is this strong." The other blond's frustration only seems to grow with every failed attempt to free himself.

"It's good rope if it is." The tallest of them comments idly, large muscles straining and rubbed raw from the rope rubbing the exposed skin.

"Keep quiet in there! There's one more to come, then revenge will be ours…" the voice fades as their capture walks away, pacing as he's been doing.

"Oh gods, he's smeagling, this is not good." G

"Did you just use smeagle as a verb?" E

"How would you describe his behavior then?" G

"Uh, crazy." E

"Alright enough, arguing will get us nowhere." A

"Everything is getting us nowhere." La

"I swe-" whatever the short haired blond was planning on retorting is cut short as a loud noise echoes through their location- an abandoned something- and the six men fall quiet.

"You!? This whole time… you will pay for killing my Lady! The true Queen!"

"Yeah, Crazy works…"

The building is old, some small dingy little house long abandoned, Merlin assumes the guys are in the cellar, but if they'd been captured then he couldn't take this mysterious guy for granted. [See he could learn things.] So he makes an entrance, the door easily slamming off its hinge and making a rather loud crash in the space. The man is as unremarkable as Kim said, the black layered robe he wears the only indication he's not from around here- the fabric, Merlin can tell, is OLD.

"You!? This whole time… you will pay for killing my Lady! The true Queen!"

Ah, so a follower of Morganas then… or maybe Morgause, Merlin thinks a few people wanted her on the throne. It didn't matter one way or the other, Merlin could sense the Knights below, which means this was a dangerous enemy, who had it out for him.

And he had just been thinking about how he HADN'T missed the mortal danger.

Though, he wasn't mortal…

Whatever, he probably needed a fight anyway.

The guy fires first, an ameteur spell, that reminds Merlin that his knights are not knights in this world and any magic would be a lot for a mortal of this time period. He had been hoping for a challenge so his magic could have a small release. Though he supposes the guy, at least, has quite a bit of perseverance.

"I think these mortals have made you soft!" He taunts, out of breath but grinning with blackened and broken teeth, "Perhaps we should change the stakes, Emrys!"

He begins muttering under his breath, quick and malicious, Merlin recognizes the dark aura-all too often a favorite of his adversaries- but it's not directed at him, no it's directed towards the door they'd ended up at. Or rather, who lays beyond. Screams echo from beyond the wood, and they, like all the others he's heard, will engrave themselves into his memory. They are too familiar, his friends in pain, four- no… six voices calling out in agony-

His eyes glow, his hair flutters wildly, he speaks no spell but the man hits the ground like a rock anyway. The screams cut off, but Merlin isn't done,

"You will regret touching them." His voice echoes around them, low and dark.

"B-but you… you are Emrys, you don't-"

"You were wrong before, People don't change people, time does. And I've had an abundance of that."

"M-my lady will have her revenge! You are not safe from her wrath! Arthur Pendragon will fall! And Camelot-" His scream cuts off his revenge monologue, as he turns into a piece of paper.

He came from a book, but was simply a puppet character, there was someone else behind his entrance. He burns the page, making his way towards the cellar entrance. Beyond he finds five men tied to chairs- though the magic infused rope has since lost its magic- they are unconcious, chests heaving with the after effects of the spell. Percival, Gwaine, Arthur, Elyan, Lancelot and Leon.

Arthur, the spitting image of his Kingly self, and the first Merlin has seen since that day, when he'd lowered him into the lake.

Its a new kind of torture, he supposed, the universe telling him what he feared, that Albion truly was gone, and the world would move on, and that Merlin was truly alone.

Arthur wakes with a groan, the softest of blankets covering his sore form. As he shifts he feels the tell tale pull of bandages over his arms, and wonders what happened this time, where was Merli-

Merlin. Who… no he knew. He'd been on the ball field practicing, when he'd gotten dizzy… he awoke tied to a chair alongside five other men- no his Knights- but they weren't were they… they weren't in camelot they were in Britain, but he was in the forest, no the field-

"Bullocks, my head feels like it was done in by a mace- where am I?"

Arthurs head turns to the side, Gwaine- was that his name now? Did he know?- was sitting up in his own bed, and past him were the other four-

"We… were in the cellar last right?" Elyon asks, voice hoarse- and gosh all of them were, they'd screamed when-

"With Smeagle crazy man yeah." Lancelot agrees, looking at them all with wide eyes, "Don't think I knew you guys then… not until… What had that guy said?"

"Emrys." Leon says.

"Magic…" Gwaine whispers.

Everyone turns to him with wide eyes, cementing the fact they were all on the same page.

"So, if we're all here…" Percival starts, eyeing wherever here was.

"Then where's Merlin??"

The small clinic was funded by a founding family of the small town they'd found themselves in. The Emrys family.

"They said he lived here." Leon says, looking at the obviously old but well taken care of house.

"Hey, look here." Lancelot- Lance- runs his hands along one of the posts on the entrance to the porch. As they gather, they find- carefully etched and preserved- the seals of their houses and of Camelot.

"So either scarily coincidental or we're in the right place." Gwaine gives a lopsided grin, only slightly tinged with uncertainty.

"Great, Percy you knock." Leon pats the larger man's arm who gives him a look of betrayal.

"I'll knock you ninnies." Arthur walks up the steps, brave face in place, and taps the door a few times.

"I thought you said knock, your majesty." Elyon goads, Lance snickers beside him.

Arthur glares, raising his arm again only for the door to open before he can. The man before them is older than they are, yet somehow holds himself on a delicate line of seeming both older and younger. Eyes that have seen far more than any should, and yet they glimmer with something as he eyes them. He may be older looking, but Arthur can't mistake the feeling of knowing, and the pain that comes with seeing how tired, how much weight seems to lay on his shoulders.

He's tense, eyes red rimmed with darkness smudged underneath, but he offers a small smile.

"Good to see you gentlemen awake, you'd been through quite the ordeal- or so I heard." He says, rubbing a hand over his face.

His red scarf is a pop of color and achingly familiar paired with bright blue eyes.

"Yeah, we were saved by someone, named Emrys." Elyon responds, the knights coming closer, familiarity clear in their eyes.

The man falters, his shoulders pulled downward by an invisible force,

"Well-"

"We know its you Merlin ya clotpole." Arthur can't stand it another second, the last time he saw Merlin he was well… dying.

Merlin's eyes widen, staring at the group like he's waiting for the joke.

"It's alright Merlin, I think we all know at this point." Lancelot's smile, reassuring and comforting, does not have Merlin's tension easing, but he does lose the wide eyes.

He shimmers before them for a moment, a golden glow from his eyes to his feet, before the Merlin they all know stands awkwardly in the doorway. There's a bit of fear in his posture, but a resigned look to his eyes now obviously red from tears he'd shed recently. Arthur thinks Lancelot and Gwaine look ready to fight anyone, but while there may be a bit of surprise, there is no true anger or fear from anyone, even Arthur himself is lacking it.

He thinks he surprises everyone when he pulls the beanpole into a hug.

"It's been a long time, my friend." He murmurs, as his shirt becomes wet and wrinkled from a teary face and tight grip.

The others gather round to encircle the magic user, their friend, a blanket of warmth they hadn't realized they needed falling over them. Like they were finally home.

(Myrddin Emrys is the name hes using atm, but I never got it in there :/)

[wistfulvulpine]

destiny rests on the shoulders of albion's eepiest warriors

[imm0rtal-idi0t]

My first Merlin fan art 😭 Please be friendly 🫶

[noxintheabyssblog]

WTF so that scene where Arthur stands by the tent, watching Merlin with such love, hopelessly pining eyes as he laughs with the knights… That was a real scene and not just an edit??? What the hell??? 🤯😭

[adageyer]

01 >>next>> of the prologue of "destiny rekindled", a fan-comic of mine

[cameron-phillips]

-Shannon L. Alder Merwaine Fest 2023 Day Five

[yourfavecharacterisqueer]

girls don’t want flowers, they want morgana pendragon’s s1-3 wardrobe!!

[alexvacice]

The great thing about Merlin is once you finish it you get to rewatch it and look back at how every choice Merlin makes just solidifies the prophecised future even more.

[hopelessromantic5]

Part 2 of ghost-visit merthur Drabble.

Magic reveal included.

The blonde studied his manservant, as he was in the habit of doing, lately. Merlin was nervous and perhaps even…scared?

What possible reason could Merlin have to fear him?

“I’m not going to like this, am I?” Arthur did not need an answer, he already knew that he wouldn’t.

“Maybe-“ Merlin stopped and started again. “It might be easier if I show you.” He was quiet, only illuminated by the light coming into the princes chambers from the corridor.

Arthur honestly didn’t have any idea what was about to happen.

When it was over, he felt like an idiot for not seeing it sooner.

The first thing Merlin did was cup his palms together, in front of his chest, eyes closed, as if he were praying.

He, all at once, opened his hands and his eyes, revealing a glowing blue butterfly, Arthur focused on it only for a heartbeat, gasping at the sight.

Then he caught Merlin’s own gaze, blue eyes turned golden like the heat of the sun, shining brighter than any fire Arthur had ever seen.

The Prince felt many things. Confusion and shame and anger, at himself, at Merlin, at his father.

But surprisingly, Arthur felt no fear. He didn’t get that sickening drop in his stomach that normally occurred when confronted with magic.

He had the quick thought that maybe it was because the magic was always being used by people who wanted him dead.

Instead of that unbearable chill in the air, Merlin’s magic left Arthur feeling like he’d just been out training in the summer. He felt renewed, recharged.

When Merlin let the butterfly disappear into the room, brightening the space about a foot in either direction of its flapping wings, his eyes faded back to their stormy blue, rainclouds over the ocean.

Arthur was speechless.

A million scenes over the past few years played through his mind’s eye with this new knowledge now secured. Everything seemed to make a little more sense. The prince never being able to find Merlin in times of trouble, his manservant always disappearing and hiding behind trees while bandits were being tripped by roots that weren’t there before, felled by branches falling at the perfect time. Victories being won against foes that Arthur had no recollection of defeating.

Arthur should be dead ten times over, probably. If not for the man who stood before him. If not for magic.

He couldn’t find words for a long time.

Merlin did not rush him.

He just stood silently, waiting for whatever fate he assumed was awaiting him. Arthur could only imagine the worst case scenarios playing through his manservant’s mind and it was enough to make him sick.

Finally after taking a deep breath into his lungs, the prince spoke.

“I understand.”

Merlin blinked his eyes three times, an instinct in Arthur nearly verbalized that he was akin to an owl, he thought better of it.

“You-you what?”

“I understand why you didn’t tell me. I can only assume this is not a fact that you share with many people, let alone…you know, me.” Arthur’s nerves were beginning to catch up to him. He wasn’t used to being so bare and unguarded, and certainly not in front of Merlin.

But another fact he was settling upon him was that Merlin had the upper hand here. He’d possibly always had it, from that very first day. Yet, even when Merlin was his most fed up, his most aggravated with Arthur, even at times when they refused to speak to each other out of pure stubbornness, Merlin never turned on him. Never even used his magic to give Arthur a good smack over the head (that he probably deserved).

Even when Merlin had to watch his own people die on the pyre, he never turned on Arthur.

Not even when he learned what Arthur did that awful day. A quiet Druid camp drowned in the screams of the innocent because he was too much of a coward to stand up to his father, and not enough of a Prince to get his knights to obey his orders of sparing the children. Even though, he failed.

Merlin never lost faith in him. The prince still sees it, even now.

“You’re not…angry?” This voice was small compared to his usual boisterous demeanor.

“I am angry.” Arthur nodded. “But only at our circumstances. If I were not here and you were not there, none of this would be as difficult as it is.”

“You must know,” Merlin whispered. “I’ve only ever used it to help you. To ensure that you and this kingdom were safe.” The prince saw him swallow, one of his many tells. Merlin is nervous. “Arthur, I told you this once before, but back home I was…lost. I had all of this pent up energy and nowhere to put it down, I felt I had no true purpose there. I’ve since learned many things that all led me to one conclusion. I’m supposed to be here, at your side. To make sure you actually survive long enough to ascend the throne-“

Arthur almost interjected to say he didn’t need protecting but clamped his mouth shut because he knew, now, that wasn’t necessarily true, as much as he hated to admit it.

“-but also because…Well,” Merlin cleared his throat, Arthur took a moment to wonder what he was about to say that was causing him to be so antsy. “I do not think I could leave, even if you ordered me to go. I…I think being away from you would probably rip me apart.” He laughed a humorless, pitiful laugh and was looking down at feet. Arthur watched a tear fall from his eyes like the first raindrop and land on the stone floor.

“I could never send you away.” Arthur shook his head. “You’re just as necessary to this kingdom’s survival as I am.”

Merlin audibly gasped, Arthur went on as if he didn’t hear it.

“I want Camelot to be…I don’t know, good, for lack of a better word. I want it to be welcoming and bright and full of life. Not plagued with death and decay and heartache. I do not want even our poorest citizens to have to wonder what they will eat in the winter. I don’t want another person stepping foot into this kingdom and immediately witnessing a beheading, or a pyre being lit. That is not the kind of place I wish to govern. All I can do is my best, but I need you here. I need you with me. I only ever considered that I could truly change the way things are, when,” he took a heavy breath, “when I realized that you actually believed in me. That you, an insubordinate, treasonous, outsider that had absolutely no reason to ever think such things, you actually had faith that I could do it. And since that day, your faith has been what keeps me going. So you can’t-“

Arthur hadn’t dared to watch Merlin while he spilled his messy heart all over the room. The first shining of the sun was rising over the horizon and soon, they would have to face each other in the daylight.

“You can’t leave, okay?”

The prince walked further into his chambers as he spoke, away from the door, lest any of the guards overhear their conversation.

“That may be selfish of me to request, knowing that you are constantly in danger here. But I am also in a position where I can make sure that you never face the hands of my father. I would never let him hurt you, you know that, right?”

A chuckle was heard from where Merlin still stood behind him,

“I do now.” It was emotional and ridiculous but Arthur was relieved. That Merlin was still Merlin.

“Good.” The prince sighed. “We can discuss this more tomorrow. You can tell me everything I’ve, apparently, missed.”

“Absolutely, sire.”

Arthur turned after a few moments of silence and Merlin was still standing there, in the middle of the room.

“Merlin?”

“Yes, sire?”

“Is there something else you wanted to say?” The prince couldn’t help the smile that was creeping up his face.

“Um…” The raven boy cleared his throat, again. Looking unsure, with more light in the room, Arthur could see his brows pinched. “No, no. Nothing we can’t discuss tomorrow.”

“You’re sure?” At this point Arthur was wondering if either he or the both of them were in immediate danger.

“Well I’m not exactly sure if she would want me to tell y-“

“She?!” Arthur voice, embarrassingly, cracked in the middle of his outraged cry. Merlin looked at him like he had goat horns growing out of his head.

In a much calmer tone, Arthur continued.

“And who is ‘she’?”

Something bloomed on Merlin’s face that had Arthur wary.

“Before we get to that, I have a question for you.”

“For me?”

“Considering this is officially the first day that we’re being honest with each other, someone told me that you have a secret of your own and I’d like to know what it is.”

Arthur, dumbfounded and feeling somewhat ambushed, could not think of anything to say other than,

“I didn’t hear a question.”

Like an idiot.

“Must you be so difficult? What is it you’re not telling me? How do you even have time in the day to keep secrets? I know where you are every minute.”

“Technically, I already told you.”

Arthur decided he would much rather brood out the window, staring at the sunset than watch Merlin flinch away from him in disgust.

“When?” The man honestly had no idea.

The prince rolled his eyes, pushing away a stupid smile.

“Just now, you idiot.”

“Did I miss part of the conversation? When did you-“ at the sound of Merlin cutting himself short, Arthur’s neck swiveled. He watched the pieces come together and realization finally hit.

He looked confused.

“I’m confused,” Of course. “You can’t possibly mean-“

“When I said your faith keeps me going, I meant it, Merlin.” There he was, standing in the morning rays, breathtaking as ever, the reason Camelot remains standing. Looking at Arthur as if he were speaking a different language.

“I rise out of that bed every morning simply because I know you will be there.”

This was not the prince and his manservant, this was just Merlin and Arthur. Two boys that met under unfortunate and unfair circumstances.

“And in those gut wrenching moments when I can’t find you, the fear feels as if it might kill me. If anything ever happened-“ Arthur turned his head away and swallowed a sob that threatened to ricochet through him at the mere thought.

“I would probably burn the entire world to the ground.” He whispered. More as a thought to himself, a thought he had never let come to pass.

It was silent for a few heartbeats. Merlin broke it.

“There is a word for that.”

Arthur hung his head at that. Defeat.

He’d finally been bested.

It finally caught him. He’d been evading it for years before Merlin came along, always sidestepping its ever-growing reach.

“Yes, there is.” He admitted. The morning was surreal and glowing, everything had a halo of rainbows. Arthur was running on nothing but adrenaline and at his confession, all of the energy completely drained out of him.

“Though,” Merlin took a step in his direction, and then another. “I shouldn’t. Against my better judgment…I love you, too.”

Arthur had been branded in that moment. As if Merlin had touched his bare skin with a red-hot poker. The words echoed through his emptying mind and bounced off the walls of his chambers.

“I don’t believe you.” Arthur could not catch them before the words fell out of his face.

He was met with chuckling.

Had he said something funny?

“You don’t believe me? The entire bloody kingdom can see it and you, stubborn arse, refuse to believe it, of course.” Merlin rolled his eyes. “Why would I tell you I love you if I didn’t mean it?”

“To make me feel better?” Arthur offered.

“As much as I would hate to hurt your feelings, I would never lie to you about that.”

Arthur suddenly had a thought.

“If that’s the case then who’s the woman?”

“What woman?”

“Earlier you said you weren’t sure if ‘she’ wanted you to tell me. Who’s she? And what did she tell you?”

“Oh.” Merlin fell silent.

And simultaneously, the room went dark.

Arthur’s first thought was that he blacked out. But no. He was still standing in place, he could hear the bustle of the castle beginning to rise for the day.

Someone had merely closed the curtains, blocking out the sun completely.

“Merlin? Did you do that?” Instinctively, his hand when to the hilt of his sword.

“No.” Followed immediately by, “Take my hands.”

“What?”

“I’m going to show you something. Take my hands.”

Arthur could only ever trust Merlin. With everything. His heart, his life, his kingdom.

His manservant’s eyes began to glow the second their hands touched.

It took the prince by surprise by he didn’t pull away. It seemed to take Merlin somewhat by surprise, also. His hands were buzzing, humming with power, Arthur fingers became numb from it after seconds.

Over the ringing in his ears the prince heard Merlin mumble,

“She’s here.”

The buzzing of his skin ceased, his eyes remained golden, blinking and unseeing.

“Who’s here?”

“Turn around and see for yourself.”

Arthur’s brows pinched in confusion, the heavy door at the entrance to his chambers had not been opened. They would’ve heard it.

He turned, dropping Merlin’s hands in the process, shocked beyond words to actually see a figure standing there.

Pale and beautiful. And sad.

He knew her upon sight.

Not because he had any memory of her face to call upon, no portraits were ever painted of her, but he knew, the way every child knows their mother.

He was stuck in place, memorizing every detail that he could to take with him later. To cherish.

“Arthur, my boy.” She spoke softly, only interrupted by her own crying.

Rather than trying to speak again, she crossed the distance between them and engulfed him in a hug.

The hug Arthur thought he would never have. The warmth of which, he’d gone an entire childhood without.

There truly was nothing more healing than being surrounded by a person who loves you, unconditionally.

“H-how did- why-?” Arthur cut each thought short because they did not seem important enough.

“I’m so sorry, mother.” He whispered into his mothers shoulder, silently letting wells of tears flow. “You should never have met such an awful fate because of me.”

“Hush now, none of that.” The Queen placed her hands on either side of Arthur’s face, holding him up. “I have been here with you, all this time, Arthur. That is all I ever wanted; To be with you. That is the only regret I carry regarding your birth, I would do it all again, if it meant you got the chance to live.”

“You’ve been…here? In the castle?”

She nodded.

“Seeing but never seen.” Arthur was both elated and heartbroken at seeing his mother this way. “That was the rule. Though, I think with your friend over there, anything is possible.”

“Yes, I’m beginning to think he’s more powerful than he lets on.” The absurdity of this conversation was not lost on him. If anyone had told him five hours ago that this would be his new normal, he’d probably have them thrown in the stocks.

His mother laughed and it was a beautiful sound, like the the high chiming of the wind charms made by a woman in the lower town, citizens hang them to hear them sing when the Earth is speaking through the breeze.

“I think you underestimate him quite a bit, your highness.” She shook her head at him, as every other mother had that Arthur always looked upon and wondered. “Merlin is magic. He is the power of the earth made human. And his loyalty is to you. You are a very fortunate king, indeed.”

“Not King yet, mother.”

She sobered immediately from her playfulness.

Arthur did not have to guess why.

“Do not listen to your father, Arthur. It may go against all you’ve been taught but he is not always right. In fact, he is almost always wrong. Especially in terms of political affairs, but always with you. What he says to you, of you, is what he thinks of himself. He is angry because he is getting old and he cannot control time. He has taken his life’s hardships out on you and you never deserved that, Arthur. You are a great man and you will make a fantastic King.”

As the last words fell, she began to fade, slowly. But her skin was turning more translucent with every second. Arthur mourned all over again.

“Our time has run out, my boy, even our Merlin can only hold the connection so long. But I will always be here, should you need me.”

“I love you, mother.”

“I love you, too, Arthur.” Faint, but Arthur heard it.

Then, she was gone.

And now Arthur had to pick up the eight year old version of himself that was currently balled up in the center of his chest, and put him back where he goes. In a dark dusty corner of his mind.

It was quiet for a few moments.

The prince turned to find Merlin sat in the floor, the same spot he had been standing, on the other side of the room.

The manservant rose shakily.

“Well, that was…”

“Yeah, it was.” Arthur sighed, long and exhausted.

“Merlin, you are going to go tell my father that I have been unwell since supper last night. Then you will come back here.” Arthur began to unclad himself of belts and tunics.

“Tomorrow, we talk. Today, We are taking a well-deserved nap.”

“You’re inviting me to…take a nap with you.” The blonde could hear the smile creeping into Merlin’s voice as he spoke but decided he was too tired to scold him.

“Yes, Merlin. Or you’re welcome to go sleep in Gaius’ chambers with him banging beakers and books around all day. Be my guest.”

“I’ll be back in a flash, sire.”

Arthur turned just in time to see Merlin wink at him before leaving.

So, this was the new normal.

Arthur liked it.

[magicomens]

Hi i just discovered your comic and read it through, took a moment to lay prone on the ground and then read it again. It’s so good, the character interactions are so chef’s kiss, I love the art style! The panel where Arthur ponders the video game remote in Merlin’s place is sending me and I love the way you use tiny bits of color to make Aziraphale’s miracles pop! And the rainbow explosion all my homies love the rainbow explosion

Yeah the way everyone called it The Gay Explosion makes me proud xD

Thank you! <3

[themaidenofwords]

This Has Happened More Than Once

It Will Happen Again

And Again

[thedragonlies]

Merry Christmas Merlin fandom!

Wrapping this one up a little later than planned, but we can all use some more Merthur fluff and smut for Christmas Eve, right?

[evedaser]

friends who make edits i’ve been struck by a vision without the skills to action it and the vision is tragic merthur in winner takes it all

[wikitpowers]

kitty and merthur parallels bc i'm sad pt.1 (beware of spoilers!)

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[partlyironic]

merlin's face as he watches arthur lift excalibur from the stone KILLS me... just fully in the throes of some kind of religious psychosis...

merlin. mate. sweetheart. YOU put the sword in there with your magic, and it was YOUR magic that got it out! you KNOW the myth isn't real because YOU made it up!!! what are you looking so awed and reverent for?! have some COUTH, for goodness' sake!